What is a Lord?
by ProfessorPedant
Summary: Why is Voldemort a Lord? Why are the Blacks a noble house? Lords, Ladies, and other titles get hammered out in a short conversation between Harry and some DA members. Mostly a chance to address a pet peeve of mine - the frequent misuse of titles in HP stories.


**What is a Lord?**

"Did you see the shield she cast? It must have withstood five different stunners," Ron said. He and Harry, along with a few others had just finished cleaning up after a DA meeting and were relaxing in a lounge provided by the Room of Requirement, sipping juices brought by Dobby and Winky.

"Which shield that who cast?" Harry asked "I was helping Collin and Luna during most of the shield practice."

"Fourth year Ravenclaw, Lady MacDonald or Lady Mary or whatever her name is. I never get those things right." Ron's voice held the same annoyance as when he got the meanings of omens confused in Divination, a bother but of no real importance.

"Lady Mary," Justin Finch-Fletchley offered. "She is Lord Seaforth's daughter."

"I thought her name was MacDonald," Harry said. "Her father has a different name?"

"It is MacDonald," Hermione confirmed. "For peers there is often no direct connection between family name and title." Both Ron and Harry looked at her nonplussed, while Justin and Morag MacDougal nodded in agreement.

Hermione shook her head then continued. "Let me give you an example with which you are intimately familiar – You-Know-Who. Just because Tom Riddle is his family name does not mean he could not be Lord Voldemort. The Riddle family could hold the title Baron, Viscount, Earl, or Marquees of Voldemort." She paused while Justin, Morag, and to a lesser extent Ron, shuddered at the name. "If that were the case, and he was the legitimate title holder, he would legally be The Right Honourable Tom Marvolo, Baron (or whatever) Voldemort; commonly called Lord Voldemort."

Justin scratched his head then added, "I suppose it could even be a courtesy title, if his father were the actual marquess or earl, and the V-v-v-voldemort title were a subsidiary title."

"Enough!" Morag stated. "Find a different example. I don't want t'talk about Him n'more." Justin, Ron, and even Harry nodded their agreement. "So…I know Lady Mary is Lady Mary, but I don't quite get why."

"You know what a peer is?" Hermione asked.

"Lords and ladies and knights and stuff, right?" Ron answered uncertainly.

"What he said." Harry pointed at Ron.

Justin smiled. "Sort of and not quite. In the UK peers are the holders of hereditary titles of nobility that allow, among other privileges, membership in the House of Lords. There are five ranks of peers in the UK, from highest to lowest - duke, marquees, earl, viscount, and baron. There are, of course, the distaff equivalents - duchess, marchioness, countess, viscountess, and baroness. Baronets and knights, while titled, are not considered peers and do not hold seats in the Lords. The peers, their spouses, sons, and daughters all have legal precedence in this system. Having the lower person go before the higher can lead to bad feelings, feuds, even legal action. Using the proper form of address helps everyone know where a person falls in this hierarchy."

"In Scotland we have Lords of Parliament as the lowest rank," pointed out Morag. "Barons are something different, as are Lairds and Chiefs, and some other Scottish titles." Justin and Hermione nodded.

"A peer, like any other person has a forename and a surname," Hermione stated. "They also have their title, often a place name like Richmond or York, though occasionally a family name like Spencer. They are never referred to by their family name, unless it is also their title. They are called Lord title name."

Justin interrupted. "For instance, my father is Peter Finch-Fletchly, The Earl of Harborough. He is called Lord Harborough."

"What does that make you?" Harry asked. "Lord Justin? Like Lady Mary?"

"No. I am the second son so I am the Honourable Justin Finch-Fletchley. My older brother Steven uses my Father's junior title, Viscount Preston, so he is called Lord Preston. If my father was a duke or a marquess I would be Lord Justin Finch-Fletchley. If my father were a viscount or a baron even my older brother would only rate a 'the Hon. Steven'."

"Merlin's crusty whiskers, that's too much to remember." Ron groaned.

Justin continued. "Lady Mary is a daughter. The rules are different for them. Daughters of dukes, marquesses, and earls are called Lady Forename Surname. So my sister is Lady Lydia Finch-Fletchly. Daughters of viscounts and barons are simply The Honourable Miss Forename Surname."

"Dukes are different." Hermione continued seamlessly. "They are always called Duke of such and such, never Lord such and such." Hermione started to get into her lecture mode. "For example, you have probably heard of Sir Winston Churchill."

"The muggle Prime Minister during the Grindelwald War?" asked Ron.

"That's right! Very good."

"Just cause I don't pay attention in Binn's class doesn't mean I don't know any history. My great uncle was in the Muggle Liaison Office during the war."

"Right. Well Churchill's father was Lord Randolph Churchill who was the second son of the Duke of Marlborough. So we have three generations from a peer and each would use different forms of address. The Duke would always be called the Duke or the Duke of Marlborough, if there is more than one Duke around." Hermione continued. "His oldest son was called the Marquess of Blandford, addressed as Lord Blandford, while his younger sons and daughters were Lord or Lady Forename Spencer-Churchill. Lord Randolf Churchill's son was simply Mr. Winston Churchill, at least until he got knighted."

"If Lady Mary is Lord Seaforth's daughter," Harry started working out, "Lord Seaforth must be an earl or better."

"You make it sound like a poker hand," Justin laughed. "Earls or better to open… But you're right, Lord Seaforth is a marquees."

"So why isn't she Lady Seaforth or Lady MacDonald?" Ron asked.

"Lady Seaforth would mean she was the Marchioness of Seaforth, which is her mother. If she was called Lady MacDonald it would mean her husband is a baronet or a knight." Justin look to see if the others understood.

"My father was recently knighted for his work as the chairman of the Royal College of Dentistry," Hermione said proudly. "He is now Sir Richard Granger, KBE; called Sir Richard, never Sir Granger. And my mother is Lady Granger. If someone were to call her Lady Jane Granger or Lady Jane it would mean she was the daughter of an 'earl for better'."

"Got it?" Justin asked "My father is having a New Year's party and it will be full of peers and their families. I can invite you and we can test your knowledge if you would like."

"Good Lord no!" Harry quickly demurred.

"Hmmmm…," Morag said as she linked arms with Justin and led him out of the Room. "Tell me more."

After the Golden Trio was left alone in the room Hermione continued, "Harry, I didn't want to bring this up with the others here but this may affect you more closely than you realize. Sirius is actually the 14th Baron of Blackheath, the Black family title. He never uses the title, but he should be called Lord Blackheath. If I read the Black Family Tapestry correctly, and depending on the inheritance rules for this particular title, you are second in line for that title, after Draco."

"What!"

"It's true. If anything were to happen to both Sirius and Draco, you would become Harry James Potter, 15th Baron of Blackheath. You'd need to know the correct forms."

"Don't even kid about it Hermione," Harry stated flatly, "I don't even want to think about something happening to Sirius."

-fin-

A/N see debretts . com forms-address/titles for more details


End file.
